Nashua's Brandon Gillis hits a big sand shot that helped him to his State Am title last July at Abenaqui CC. His title defense begins today at Manchester CC in Bedford. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

BEDFORD — Record entries — some 156 golfers — for a course celebrating its own record.

In its centennial year, Manchester Country Club today is set to host the 120th playing of the New Hampshire Amateur Championship

Manchester Country Club was designed by Donald Ross with construction completed in 1923. As the course celebrates its Centennial season, the golfers this week will take on the challenges of the classic Donald Ross undulating greens, the fescue mounds bordering fairways and greens and enjoy the pristine conditions and historic features the course has to offer.

“We’ve been prepping since the first growth this spring,” commented MCC General Manager, Bill Thibeault. “Managing fescue growth around the greens so it’s penal but playable, firming up the greens and approaches so the speed can be modified appropriately throughout the week, and of course working on our aesthetical areas to present this golf course at its best. It is truly a month’s long process to prepare a golf course for a major event.”

Today and Tuesday are stroke play, then Wednesday begins the match play portion of the event with one round. Then there will be two rounds on Thursday, the quarters and semis on Friday, and the 36-hole finals set for this Saturday.

This will be the 15th time MCC has hosted the New Hampshire Amateur Championship and 35th time hosting a New Hampshire Golf Association championship event which includes the New Hampshire Open, New Hampshire Women’s Amateur, the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur and New Hampshire Junior.

Thibeault stated, “In our Centennial year, there couldn’t be a more fitting event to host alongside the NHGA; the 120th New Hampshire Amateur Championship returns to MCC for the first time since 2005 and was the first major tournament played at the Club in 1925.”

And there are a lot of memories.

“Many golf greats–both professional and amateur– have graced our fairways throughout our 100 years, including Francis Ouimet, National Open Champion of 1913, and Jesse Guilford, National Amateur Champion of 1921, who both played in MCC’s ceremonial opening competition on August 1, 1923”, continued Thibeault.

New Hampshire golf greats like New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Thomas J. Leonard Jr. has claimed a New Hampshire Amateur title at MCC three times and most recently, Craig Cyr won the New Hampshire Amateur back in 2005. This year’s field boasts 11 past champions of the event, including Nashua’s James Pleat who looks to carry on the legacy his grandfather, Thomas J. Leonard Jr. left at this golf course.

Nashua’s Brandon Gillis, the defending State Amateur champion, steps into this year’s tournament with some momentum on his side after a strong senior season at the University of Rhode Island (URI). He garnered five top-6 finishes throughout his final collegiate season and averaged a score of 71.4 over 30 rounds, his best scoring average of his five years at URI.

“I’m hoping to build off the momentum I’ve built recently with my good play and make match play”, stated Gillis on his goals and mindset coming into the tournament. “Getting comfortable with how I plan to play the golf course is important during the stroke play portion as well.”

Gillis has advanced to the final match of the New Hampshire Amateur the last two years, losing to James Pleat in 2021 at North Conway Country Club and taking home the victory last year at Abenaqui Country Club against Jim Cilley. This year, he knows it doesn’t get any easier as the entire field will be watching out for him.

He said, “I know I’ll have a bit of a target on my back this year if do end up making match play so I’m hoping I can tune that out as well as James Pleat did to win back-to-back”.

Now heading to Manchester Country Club with his first goal of making match play and end goal of winning back-to-back, Gillis talks about his prep work saying, “I’m hoping to work on my wedge game, specifically inside 100 yards. That’s been a weakness as of late and something I know I can improve on and will need to improve on to have a chance again this year.”

As preparations continue for the state’s premier amateur golf championship, the NHGA is thrilled to see the excitement and buzz surrounding this tournament. NHGA Tournament Director, Kinsey Hoffmann stated, “We are excited to head back to Manchester Country Club, especially in such a special year for the club, celebrating their centennial season.”

“We saw nearly 500 entries for the State Amateur, a number we haven’t seen before, which shows the excitement and enthusiasm from the New Hampshire golf community for this tournament and the host golf course,” continued Hoffmann.

MONDAY-TUESDAY PAIRINGS, TEE TIMES

For today’s pairings and tee times, to go https://nhga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/nhga23/event/nhga2319/pairings.htm?r=7b149e6d-f527-4014-8106-f012d323b7b0.

For Tuesday’s second day of stroke play, go to https://nhga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/nhga23/event/nhga2319/pairings.htm?r=5989ee44-5f42-4046-b0c1-9a615c92962c